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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1708)
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<!-- (Begin Body) -->
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>S E C O N D C H R O N I C L E S</B></FONT>
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<BR>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>CHAP. XVI.</FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=50>
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</CENTER>
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<FONT SIZE=-1>
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<P>
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This chapter concludes the history of the reign of Asa, but does not
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furnish so pleasing an account of his latter end as we had of his
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beginning.
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I. Here is a foolish treaty with Benhadad king of Syria,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+16:1-6">ver. 1-6</A>.
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II. The reproof which God sent him for it by a prophet,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+16:7-9">ver. 7-9</A>.
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III. Asa's displeasure against the prophet for his faithfulness,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+16:10">ver. 10</A>.
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IV. The sickness, death, and burial of Asa,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+16:11-14">ver. 11-14</A>.</P>
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</FONT>
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<A NAME="2Ch16_1"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch16_2"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch16_3"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch16_4"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch16_5"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch16_6"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec1"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Asa's League with Benhadad.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 929.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>1 In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king
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of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent
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that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
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2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of
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the house of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> and of the king's house, and sent to
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Ben-hadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,
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3 <I>There is</I> a league between me and thee, as <I>there was</I>
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between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver
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and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that
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he may depart from me.
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4 And Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains
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of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon,
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and Dan, and Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.
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5 And it came to pass, when Baasha heard <I>it,</I> that he left off
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building of Ramah, and let his work cease.
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6 Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the
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stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was
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building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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How to reconcile the date of this event with the history of the kings I
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am quite at a loss. Baasha died in the twenty-sixth year of Asa,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Ki+16:8">1 Kings xvi. 8</A>.
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How then could this be done in his thirty-sixth year, when Baasha's
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family was quite cut off, and Omri was upon the throne? It is generally
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said to be meant of the thirty-sixth year of the kingdom of Asa,
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namely, that of Judah, beginning from the first of Rehoboam, and so it
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coincides with the sixteenth of Asa's reign; but then
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+15:19"><I>ch.</I> xv. 19</A>
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must be so understood; and how could it be spoken of as a great thing
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that there was no more war till the fifteenth year of Asa, when that
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passage immediately before was in his fifteenth year?
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+15:10"><I>ch.</I> xv. 10</A>),
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and after this miscarriage of his, here recorded, he had wars,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+16:9"><I>v.</I> 9</A>.
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Josephus places it in his twenty-sixth year, and then we must suppose a
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mistake in the transcriber here and
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+15:19"><I>ch.</I> xv. 19</A>,
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the admission of which renders the computation easy. This passage we
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had before
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Ki+15:17-24">1 Kings xv. 17</A>,
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&c.) and Asa was in several ways faulty in it.
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1. He did not do well to make a league with Benhadad, a heathen king,
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and to value himself so much upon it as he seems to have done,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+16:3"><I>v.</I> 3</A>.
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Had he relied more upon his covenant, and his father's, with God, he
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would not have boasted so much of his league, and his father's, with
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the royal family of Syria.
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2. If he had had a due regard to the honour of Israel in general, he
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would have found some other expedient to give Baasha a diversion than
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by calling in a foreign force, and inviting into the country a common
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enemy, who, in process of time, might be a plague to Judah too.
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3. It was doubtless a sin in Benhadad to break his league with Baasha
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upon no provocation, but merely through the influence of a bribe; and,
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if so, certainly it was a sin in Asa to move him to it, especially to
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hire him to do it. The public faith of kings and kingdoms must not be
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made so cheap a thing.
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4. To take silver and gold out of the house of the Lord for this
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purpose was a great aggravation of the sin,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+16:2"><I>v.</I> 2</A>.
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Must the temple be plundered to serve his carnal politics? He had
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better have brought gifts and offerings with prayers and supplications,
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to the house of the Lord, that he might have engaged God on his side
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and made him his friend; then he would not have needed to be at this
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expense to make Benhadad his friend.
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5. It was well if Asa had not to answer for all the mischief that the
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army of Benhadad did unjustly to the cities of Israel, all the blood
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they shed and all the spoil they made,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+16:4"><I>v.</I> 4</A>.
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Perhaps Asa intended not that they should carry the matter so far. But
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those that draw others to sin know not what they do, nor where it will
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end. The beginning of sin is as the letting forth of water. However the
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project succeeded. Benhadad gave Baasha a powerful diversion, obliged
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him to leave off building Ramah and betake himself to the defence of
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his own country northward, which gave Asa an opportunity, not only to
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demolish his fortifications, but to seize the materials and convert
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them to his own use.</P>
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<A NAME="2Ch16_7"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch16_8"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch16_9"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch16_10"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch16_11"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch16_12"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch16_13"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch16_14"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec2"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Asa's Death and Burial.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 914.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>7 And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah,
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and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria,
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and not relied on the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> thy God, therefore is the host of the
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king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.
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8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very
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many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the
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L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>, he delivered them into thine hand.
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9 For the eyes of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> run to and fro throughout the whole
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earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of <I>them</I> whose heart
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<I>is</I> perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly:
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therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
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10 Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison
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house; for <I>he was</I> in a rage with him because of this <I>thing.</I>
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And Asa oppressed <I>some</I> of the people the same time.
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11 And, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they <I>are</I>
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written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
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12 And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was
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diseased in his feet, until his disease <I>was</I> exceeding <I>great:</I>
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yet in his disease he sought not to the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>, but to the
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physicians.
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13 And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and
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fortieth year of his reign.
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14 And they buried him in his own sepulchres, which he had made
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for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which
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was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds <I>of spices</I>
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prepared by the apothecaries' art: and they made a very great
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burning for him.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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Here is,
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I. A plain and faithful reproof given to Asa by a prophet of the Lord,
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for making this league with Baasha. The reprover was Hanani the seer,
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the father of Jehu, another prophet, whom we read of
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Ki+16:1,2Ch+19:2">1 Kings xvi. 1; 2 Chron. xix. 2</A>.
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We observed several things amiss in Asa's treaty with Benhadad. But
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that which the prophet here charges upon him as the greatest fault he
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was guilty of in that matter is his <I>relying on the king of Syria and
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not on the Lord his God,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+16:7"><I>v.</I> 7</A>.</I>
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He thought that, though God was on his side, this would not stand him
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in stead unless he had Benhadad on his side, that God either could not
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or would not help him, but he must take this indirect course to help
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himself. Note, God is much displeased when he is distrusted and when an
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arm of flesh is relied on more than his power and goodness. By putting
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our confidence in God we give honour to him, and therefore he thinks
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himself affronted if we give that honour to another. He plainly tells
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the king that herein he had done foolishly,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+16:9"><I>v.</I> 9</A>.
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It is a foolish thing to lean on a broken reed, when we have the rock
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of ages to rely upon. To convince him of his folly he shows him,</P>
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<P>
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1. That he acted against his experience,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+16:8"><I>v.</I> 8</A>.
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He, of all men, had no reason to distrust God, who had found him such a
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present powerful helper, by whom he had been made to triumph over a
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threatening enemy, as his father before him, <I>because he relied upon
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the Lord his God,</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+13:18,14:11"><I>ch.</I> xiii. 18; xiv. 11</A>.
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"<I>What!</I>" said the prophet, "Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim
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a huge host, enough to swallow up a kingdom? And yet, <I>because thou
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didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thy hand;</I> and was
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not he sufficient to help thee against Baasha?" Note, The many
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experiences we have had of the goodness of God to us aggravate our
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distrust of him. Has he not helped us in six troubles? And have we any
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reason to suspect him in the seventh? But see how deceitful our hearts
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are! We trust in God when we have nothing else to trust to, when need
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drives us to him; but, when we have other things to stay on, we are apt
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to stay too much on them and to lean on our own understanding as long
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as that has any thing to offer; but a believing confidence will be in
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God only, when a smiling world courts it most.</P>
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<P>
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2. That he acted against his knowledge of God and his providence,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+16:9"><I>v.</I> 9</A>.
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Asa could not be ignorant that <I>the eyes of the Lord run to and fro
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through the earth, strongly to hold with those</I> (so it may be read)
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<I>whose heart is perfect towards him;</I> that is,
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(1.) That God governs the world in infinite wisdom, and the creatures,
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and all their actions, are continually under his eye. The eye of
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Providence is quick-sighted--it <I>runs;</I> it is intent--it runs
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<I>to and fro;</I> it reaches far--<I>through the whole earth,</I> no
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corner of which is from under it, not the most dark or distant; and his
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eye directs his hand, and the arm of his power; for he shows himself
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strong. Does Satan walk to and fro in the earth? Providence <I>runs</I>
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to and fro, is never out of the way, never to seek, never at a loss.
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(2.) That God governs the world for the good of his people, does all in
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pursuance of the counsels of his love concerning their salvation, all
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<I>for Jacob his servant's sake, and Israel his elect,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Isa+45:4">Isa. xlv. 4</A>.
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<I>Christ is head over all things to his church,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Eph+1:22">Eph. i. 22</A>.
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(3.) That those whose hearts are upright with him may be sure of his
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protection and have all the reason in the world to depend upon it. He
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is able to protect them in the way of their duty (for wisdom and might
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are his), and he actually intends their protection. A practical
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disbelief of this is at the bottom of all our departures from God and
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double-dealing with him. Asa could not trust God and therefore made
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court to Benhadad.</P>
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<P>
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3. That he acted against his interest.
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(1.) He had lost an opportunity of checking the growing greatness of
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the king of Syria,
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+16:7"><I>v.</I> 7</A>):
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His <I>host has escaped out of thy hand,</I> which otherwise would have
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joined with Baasha's and fallen with it.
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(2.) He had incurred God's displeasure and henceforth must expect no
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peace, but the constant alarms of war,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+16:9"><I>v.</I> 9</A>.
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Those that cannot find in their hearts to trust God forfeit his
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protection and throw themselves out of it.</P>
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<P>
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II. Asa's displeasure at this reproof. Though it came from God by one
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that was known to be his messenger, though the reproof was just and the
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reasoning fair, and all intended for his good, yet he was wroth with
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the seer for telling him of his folly; nay, <I>he was in a rage with
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him,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+16:10"><I>v.</I> 10</A>.
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Is this Asa? Is this he whose heart was perfect with the Lord all his
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days? Well, let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. A
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wise man, and yet in a rage! An Israelite, and yet in a rage with a
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prophet! A good man, and yet impatient of reproof, and that cannot bear
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to be told of his faults! Lord, what is man, when God leaves him to
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himself? Those that idolize their own conduct cannot bear
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contradiction; and those that indulge a peevish passionate temper may
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be transported by it into impieties as well as into indecencies, and
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will, some time or other, fly in the face of God himself. See what gall
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and wormwood this root of bitterness bore.
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1. In his rage he committed the prophet to the jail, <I>put him in a
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prison-house,</I> as a malefactor, <I>in the stocks</I> (so some read
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it,) or into <I>little-ease.</I> God's prophets meet with many that
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cannot bear reproof, but take it much amiss, yet they must do their
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duty.
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2. Having proceeded thus far, <I>he oppressed some of the people,</I>
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probably such as owned the prophet in his sufferings, or were known to
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be his particular friends. He that abused his power for the persecuting
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of God's prophet was left to himself further to abuse it for the
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crushing of his own subjects, whereby he weakened himself and lost his
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interest. Most persecutors have been tyrants.</P>
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<P>
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III. His sickness. Two years before he died <I>he was diseased in his
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feet</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+16:12"><I>v.</I> 12</A>),
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afflicted with the gout in a high degree. He had put the prophet in the
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stocks, and now God put him in the stocks; so his punishment answered
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his sin. <I>His disease was exceedingly great;</I> it came to the
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height (so some); it flew up to his head (so others), and then it was
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mortal. This was his affliction; but his sin was that in his disease,
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instead of seeking to the Lord for relief, he <I>sought to the
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physicians.</I> His making use of physicians was his duty; but trusting
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to them, and expecting that from them which was to be had from God
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only, were his sin and folly. The help of creatures must always be used
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with an eye to the Creator, and in dependence upon him, who makes every
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creature that to us which it is, and without whom the most skilful and
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faithful are physicians of no value. Some think that these physicians
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were strangers to the commonwealth of Israel, and were a sort of
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conjurers, to whom he applied as if there were not a God in Israel.</P>
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<P>
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IV. His death and burial. His funeral had something of extraordinary
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solemnity in it,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+16:14"><I>v.</I> 14</A>.
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They made a very magnificent <I>burying for him.</I> I am loth to think
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(as some do) that he himself ordered this funeral pomp, and that it was
|
|
an instance of his vanity, that he would be buried like the Gentiles,
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|
and not after the way of the Jews. It is said indeed, <I>He digged the
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|
sepulchre for himself,</I> as one mindful of his grave; but I am
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|
willing to believe that this funeral pomp was rather an expression of
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|
the great respect his people retained for him, notwithstanding the
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|
failings and infirmities of his latter days. It was agreed to do him
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|
honour at his death. Note, The eminent piety and usefulness of good men
|
|
ought to be remembered to their praise, though they have had their
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|
blemishes. Let their faults be buried in their graves, while their
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|
services are remembered over their graves. He that said, <I>There is
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not a just man that doeth good and sinneth not, yet</I> said also,
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<I>The memory of the just is blessed;</I> and let it be so.</P>
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